


Name to be decided

by Embersoul



Series: Damien's Story [1]
Category: Original Work, World of Darkness (Games)
Genre: Abuse, Adopted Children, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Victorian, Angst, Blood Drinking, Borrowed Terms, Child Abandonment, Europe-era, F/M, Father Figures, Father-Daughter Relationship, Forced abandonment, Gen, Homesickness, I Don't Even Know, I Swear A Lot, Imprisonment, M/M, Magic, Multi, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Peer Pressure, Tags Are Hard, Tags May Change, Title will be changed, Torture, Vampire Hunters, Vampires, Werewolves, adopted family, curse words, forced hostility, though i seem to censor my writing more than my words
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-02
Updated: 2017-09-30
Packaged: 2018-12-10 02:33:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 18,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11682213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Embersoul/pseuds/Embersoul
Summary: A vampire is force to flee with the child who he has raised as his daughter when the nearby town decided to hire hunters to take him and his household down. He leaves her with his best friend while trying to get away from the hunters. This is the story of him trying to get back to her.





	1. Run

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story I started back in high school but quit when I felt that Twilight was ruining vampires and didn't want Damien compared to Edward. I picked up the story again and would like to get it out of my head. I truly hope it is appreciated and enjoyed. Feedback and suggestions are appreciated. ^u^ 
> 
> Some terminology is borrowed from New World of Darkness, also know as Chronicles of Darkness. When the terms are used, I will add details and explanations.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Its rather short and I'm still working it through. I've never been good at beginnings.

The woods were silent and abandoned, snow falling softly from the sky. Not a soul was about; even the animals were curled up with each other to keep warm. The snow softened every sound there was; a twig snapping from the weight of the snow, the wind blowing about. A solitary figure cloaked in black wandered through the barren trees, clutching a purple bundle to his chest. A sudden gust of wind whipped up, yanking the hood off, revealing a young man beneath. He wore a grey dress shirt under the cloak with black dress pants. His black leather boots were caked with snow and they did little to keep the cold out, but it wasn't a concern for him. Snow began to settle on his raven hair as he glanced back the way he had come, his breath leaving little white puffs of heat as he moved, shaking a few of the flakes free before they melted. He knew that his pursuer was still following and hoped that the snow would soon cover his tracks.   
  
"Damn hunter..." he muttered, "I just can't lose him."

His thoughts came to a halt when a soft moan and shifting came from his arms in the little bundle. He glanced down at the child he carried; a young girl, no older than seven years old, was snuggled up against his chest. Snow was already sticking to her hair since the wind had tugged off her hood as well. He shifted her weight and pulled the hood up as she coughed and shivered in his arms. Neither of them were really dressed for this weather, though he couldn't have cared less for himself. At this moment, she was the only thing left in his world.  
  
"Gotta get you somewhere safe. I need to get these guys off our trail...." He started walking, then running, then broke into a short sprint. He focused all the speed, momentum, and strength he could into his legs and leaped, soaring into the air. He only focused on where he was landing, paying no mind to the moon that was in clear view above the trees at his peak or the wind pulling his hood off again. He landed with a soft crunch in the snow, his feet sinking straight to the frozen ground through the crystallized water. He stood up from the near crouch in which he landed and checked on the girl. She was fast asleep. A soft smile slipped across his face. He leaned down to kiss her head and continued on, pulling his hood back up.  
  
He walked for what felt like hours before stopping at a small clearing by a cliff. He could easily make the jump, but the girl was shaking in his arms, shivering from the cold. While it didn't bother him, he needed to make camp for a short time to warm her up. He gently set her against a tree and looked her over. The snow had already began to cling to her loose brown curls that spilled out from the sides of her hood.   
  
"Stay right here. I'll be back," he whispered as he got up to find his firewood. As he began to walk away, he stepped into a snow drift, the snow going up to his knees. He grunted in annoyance and trudged on, muttering, "Damn snow."

Some time later, the girl awoke to the snapping and popping of wet wood. She sat up, rubbing her eyes and allowing them to adjust. She pushed herself up off the ground and walked over to the little stone alcove where the fire was started.

"Damien?" she asked as he looked up.

"Hey! Good morning. How do you feel, Holly?" he asked with a smile, standing up to offer her the warm spot on the log where he'd been sitting. She sat down, knocking snow from her tiny brown boots. 

"Ok. What are we doing out here? Are we going on a trip?"

"Yes," he hesitated. "Yes. Some very mean people came to the castle and everyone had to leave."

"Is everyone coming with us? Like Reginald and Mary?" The mere mention of their names flashed images though his mind. He turned away and took a sharp breath to try to calm himself.

"No, Holly." He started slowly, choosing his words carefully. "I.... I need to explain what happened. And I really hope you understand...."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm thinking I might start adding little tidbits of info to these about the story and its evolution. Or just to start explaining some of the terms I might use in the future.


	2. Safe

They sat quietly, Holly close to the fire, the light reflecting in the tears that slipping from her sapphire eyes down her cheeks. Damien gave a soft sigh and got up.

"We should get going. We've rested long enou-"

"Are we going to die?" Holly looked up at him as she wiped a tear away from her left cheek. 

"What? No. We'll be fine," he smiled, trying to comfort her.

"But we need to get you to Doctor Alexander."

"But I feel fi-" her words were cut short by a small coughing fit.

"See? You need to get to somewhere warm." 

"Ok...." she sighed. He kicked snow into the fire, causing to hiss and whine. "I'm ready." He smiled, kissed her forehead, pulled her into his embrace, and jumped up the cliff. As he hit the ground, he froze for a moment as a howl rose on the frigid air. He knew it had to be the hunter again; he'd heard the same mutt earlier. A vicious smirk crossed his face, fangs bearing themselves in the light of the full moon. It would be some time before they could catch up to them now.

Nonetheless, the child needed warmth, so he pressed on, running through the freshly settling snow, leaving a trail he only prayed would be covered by the wind and the ever falling flakes. He didn't stop again for hours, Holly sleeping through the rest of the trip. He wanted to put as much distance between them and their pursuers. They came to a sleepy little town right as the sun began to show signs of the approaching dawn. Damien walked in like he belonged, no one around to see him anyway. He navigated to a house with a sign nailed to a post out front reading "Doctor". He pounded the door five times with the bottom of his fist, then stepped back and waited. He could hear footsteps approaching a few minutes later, the slide of a lock, and the light creak of the hinges followed. A young man stood in the door, his long brown hair pulled back sloppily with a thin piece of rope. He was dressed in a pair of black pants, a white shirt, and a vest, all looking like he had thrown them on, just to come see who was at the door. His emerald eyes still clouded with sleep drifted over the figure in front of him, trying to focus on figuring out what was going on. The moment his eyes met with Damien's, he was fully awake, ushering the pair inside.  
  
"What on Earth are you doing all the way out here? You should have sent word that you were coming!" He cried softly, looking around outside to see if anyone had seen the two enter. He was fine with the visit, but there were dangers to housing the unexpected visitors.

"Alex, my friend, I would have, if I had known I was coming. The castle was attacked. The town had called on a hunter at last." Damien set Holly on a patient's bed that was in the entry room and began to pull his cloak off, which was drenched with the melted snow. "The only thing I was able to grab was Holly and our cloaks."

"My God.... Good Lord, watch over us." Alex took the cloak, hanging it on a rack to dry.

"God's forsaken me. You know that." Damien gently tugged Holly's cloak off and handed it over to his friend. Alex put his hand on Damien's, gripping it reassuringly, their eyes meeting.

"Don't say such things. Charles taught you better." He took the little cloak and hung it as well. "How long will you be staying?"

Damien was silent. He stood over Holly, watching her slow, peaceful breathing, the blue crystal that hung on a leather strap around her neck resting in her chest, rising and falling with every small breath. She was dressed in a little pink dress, flowers and a white bunny embroidered on the bottom.

"Damien." Alex repeated.

"I'll be leaving tonight." He took a sharp breath, like he was holding back tears. "And.... I won't be taking Holly."

"What?" Alex stopped and looked at him in disbelief. "What do you mean you won't be taking her? What? Why? You've cared for her her entire life. Why now? You're the closest thing she's had to a father! Why are you abandoning he-"

"I'm not abandoning her!" Damien was in Alex's face at this point, fangs bared as he grit his teeth. His blood red eyes glared through tears at Alex, surprise and shock at his sudden reaction written all over his face. "How _dare_ you even assume that. I'm not abandoning her. I would _never_ abandon her," he began to calm down a little, anger dissipating to the sadness and pain he had but a moment before, "but I'm not stupid. I can travel faster without her. I want to take her, but if they catch me, I want her safe. The only person left that I trust is you. Who knows what they would do to her. I swear as soon as I get them off my trail, I _will_ return for her. So please.... Help me." Alex sighed and handed him a piece of cloth, looking apologetic. How could he have accused him of such a thing? He knew how much Damien loved the little girl.

"Here. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-" he started but Damien cut him off while taking the handkerchief.

"Don't worry about it. All I need is to know if you'll watch over her until I can come back to collect her." He wiped his eyes with the soft fabric, staining it pink with the tinted tears. He looked at it, noting the color.

"Yes. I can watch her. I'll protect her with my life. I promise."

"Thank you." He gently folded the cloth and set it on the edge of the table. "Now, if you'll excuse me, it's almost sunrise. I need to get away from the sun."

"You can sleep in the cellar, but under the bed in the guest room is probably best, just in case I need the cellar for something."

"Very well. Good night." He picked up Holly, careful not to wake the girl up, and started towards the back of the house. Holly started coughing and Alex's head snapped up.

"Is she sick?"

"Yes. She has a mild cold. It's become worse in the last few days. Mary was going to start treating her but... well...." His words trailed off.

"Does she have a fever? Wait, never mind. I'll take care of her while you sleep. Put her in the bedroom and I'll be right in." He called behind him as he took the cloaks and hung them in an empty room. The less people who knew about his guests, the better. He was already trying to come up with a story as to how he would suddenly have a child staying with him. Perhaps he would say she is his niece...? 

Meanwhile, Damien gently set Holly on the bed, taking her shoes off and setting them on the floor under the window. He pulled the blanket up onto her shoulders, then pulled a chair from the desk over next to the bed. He sat and watched her for a few minutes, head resting on his hands, fingers laced together, elbows on his knees, trying to memorize the image in front of him. He brushed a stray curl from her face and sighed. Holly was the most precious thing that had ever happened to him. He never expected to have anyone he would consider family again, but here he was, worried about leaving her behind. She stirred a little and Damien perked up a little.

"Damien?" She muttered, waking up a little. 

"I'm right here." He set his hand on hers, letting her feel that he was close by while the grogginess cleared itself away. She was probably going to be up all day long. "How are you feeling?"

"Ok I guess." She smiled and it made his heart melt. "Can I have a drink please?" He chuckled at her request.

"Yes. Let me get you something." He rose from his chair and began to move towards the open door. As his hand passed by a patch of sunlight, his skin began to burn, causing him to cry out in pain and recoil away. He bit his lip to smother any further cries, drawing a little blood as he clutched his injured skin. Holly climbed out of the bed and scurried to his side. 

"Are you ok?" She asked, taking his hand where she could see. The burn was minor; the sun had barely caught him, barely even peaking over the horizon. The skin was blistered and bright pink, but she had seen him end up with worse. She glanced up at him as blood dripped onto their hands. The blood from his bite was dripping from his chin and his face was scrunched up in pain, but he managed to nod to her. She pulled the chair to the window, hopped down with a little thud, her tiny feet slapping against the wood floor as she ran to the armoir against the wall. She gathered an arm load of the contents, returning to the window the drape sheets, blankets, and clothes over the curtain rods, blocking the sunlight and dropping the room into darkness. Damien took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, licking at the blood that was below his lower lip, the bite mark already healing. Holly hopped down from the chair and returned to his side, crawling up to sit on her legs. Her tiny fingers slipped around the crystal that hung at her neck and the other to Damien's injured hand. She placed the crystal on his burn as it began to glow a vibrant blue. He watched her, her eyes focused on the crystal and the light shining back in her eyes. The burn began to slowly fade and in several heartbeats, it was gone, as if it had never been. She dropped the gem, allowing it to bounce against her chest, and snuggled against his side. She was so warm against his skin, full of life and wonder. So many years had gone by for him like moments, but with her, he almost felt human again. She snuggled closer and he put his arm around her, stroking her hair as she let out a content sigh. Alex walked in a few minutes later with a tray with several medical tools laid out on it. Seeing the two, he smiled and set it on the desk. 

"You should get some sleep, Damien." He broke the silence in the room as he produced a gold pocket watch, checking the time. "It's almost seven. I'll take care of Holly."

"Ok." He was loathe to stop running his hand over her soft hair, but he was right. He had hoped that the moment would last forever, but fate wouldn't have it. He looked down at the blue orbs that looked up at him from the spot that she had been laying. "Holly, my sweet, be good for Alex, alright?" He moved off the bed and knelt down to where they were eye level, her tiny hands in his. She smiled brightly at his request.

"'Kay! I'll be good."

"That's my girl. I'll see you tonight." He leaned in and gave her a kiss on her forehead as her arms went around his neck for a hug. She kissed his cheek and let him pull her into a hug, holding her for a moment, like this was goodbye. He let her slip back a little as he let her go slowly, then lifted up the bed skirt and blanket, sliding his body into the dark. The floor was slightly dusty, but not too bad. He could see their boots sitting by the window and watched the little feet that belonged in one pair land on the floor with a little tap. She got down on her hands and knees, sliding him a pillow and a thin blanket. He took them with a smile and thanked her as she hopped back up onto the bed, her disappearing from his view altogether. He settled down and let the two start talking before he finally let his exhaustion catch up and take him into blackness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this actually started as a comic that I was drawing and coloring. I ran out of white out for the snow and killed my navy pencil while working on it so it was put on hiatus indefinitely until a couple years ago when I decided I could draw it all out later. What you're reading now is actually version 3. :) Maybe sometime I'll scan them in and post the link.


	3. Doctor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little bit more for Holly to get some screen time. I'm writing this part on the fly with a horrible headache that painkillers don't seem to touch so we'll see how it goes!
> 
> Edit: seems like it was mostly exploring Alex as a doctor. *shrug*

Holly sat on the edge of the bed, swinging her feet as she watched Alex writing in a journal. He used to live with them back at the castle, but like many before him, had left to make a life for himself. He and Damien were best friends and he was always the one to take care of any medical issues that Mary couldn't handle. She covered her mouth as she coughed a little, but never stopped with her little kicks. He finally turned to her and smiled.   
  
"So, how are you holding up, little one?"  
  
"I'm ok. Though Damien said we can't go home." She stopped kicking and her whole body drooped a little. She didn't want to think about the fact that everyone was gone. 

"Yeah. I know. But it's ok. We're going to have the whole day to ourselves." 

"Damien won't like it if I'm up all day."

"I know. If he fusses, I'll take the blame. Now, how have you been feeling the last few days? Damien said you have a cold?"

"Yes. I've been coughing and been a little sick...." As if to accent, she coughed again. Alex turned to her and held a thermometer to her. 

"In your mouth, my dear." She did as he directed and sat quietly. He had a few stops he needed to make once the rest of the town woke up and she would have to accompany him. Especially if she was staying for a while. "Now, Damien said that you two had  to leave everything behind, so I'm going to take you shopping today. I'll introduce you as my niece who is visiting, alright?" The child nodded a little. He smiled, "I'll get you some clothes and a few things you can use while you stay." He turned back to the journal. "A little girl shouldn't be stuck with only one dress." He took the thermometer from her and checked it, writing down the information and placing back on the tray. 

Holly looked around the room while he wrote. The room was painted a shade of blue she didn't know the name to, with a nicely complimenting brown floor. The bed frame, desk, and armoir were all stained a dark brown. The colors were a major contrast to the pink her room had been. Mary loved to spoil her with colorful fabrics she had picked up, making her dresses, doll clothes, and linens. The child was the center of almost everything that happened in the castle. When Alex was there, he was no different and doted on her, but somehow, it had never spoiled the child. Her attention snapped back to him as he pulled the chair to sit in front of her.

"Open your mouth please." She did as he asked without question, flattening out her tongue a little so he could see down her throat. With the darkness in the room only being illuminated by a candle and an oil lamp, visibility was limited. He raised his left hand, muttering a quick spell to bring a small light to his fingertips, illuminating both of their faces. He held her head steady with his right as he took a quick look, then dropped the spell from his hand as he turned to grab his stethoscope. Holly closed her mouth and started to tug at the buttons on her dress, already knowing what he was going to ask. He chuckled softly as he placed it against her chest, listening carefully. After a few moments of listening, he pulled the instrument away and placed it on the table as well. "Come on. Let's let Damien sleep in peace." He picked up his tray, extinguished the lights, pushed the chair back in quietly, then waited at the door for her. She slipped under the bed and planted a kiss on the cheek of the sleeping man under the bed before grabbing her boots and following Alex.

She followed him, little feet padding softly behind him as he lead her to another room, this one actually set up with a table and cabinets filled with medical supplies. He set the tray down and motioned to a chair. "Right there is fine. Roll up your sleeves please." He began to gather a few new items from the cabinets as she did as she was asked. Alex watched her from the corner of his eye as he cleaned and put away the tools he had used. Most of his medical procedure was for show; he could easily figure out complicated medical issues from simple magic. The easier ones, such as Holly's cold, didn't need magic to figure it out, though just about every cure he offered was laced with a little extra push of the arcane. For her today, the cure would be added to a tea, heavy with honey and a little milk, the way she used to drink it when he lived with the rest of them. But at current, she wasn't going to like him for a little bit. As soon as she saw the needle, her hands went for her sleeves, a desperate whimper escaping her lips. He was in front of her in a moment, shushing her softly and attempting to calm her. 

"No... please no..." she whined.

"It's ok, Holly. It won't hurt much. I promise." He fixed her sleeve again and started to look her arm over. "It's for Damien. Relax." 

"But...." she met his gaze for a moment before he looked back down at what he was doing. "Damien doesn't use my blood."

"I know. But he needs it now. So I need you to be a big girl for him." 

"Can't he just get it like he does Mary?" She hesitantly gave up her protests and watched him as he cleaned her skin and set the wet cotton ball aside. 

"No my dear. Your blood will be different." He gently turned her head. "If you watch, you'll just get more tense. Calm down my dear. Be good and I'll get you a toy to play with." He let her breathe and take a few breathes before he pushed the needle into her arm and began to collect her blood. It took a only a few seconds, but she whimpered and whined the whole time. He smiled and patted her head as he got up and capped the small vial, returning to her with cloth to cover the small injury. "See? Not so bad, now was that?"

"No....." she sniffled. He smirked a little. 

"Why don't you go wash up a little and I'll get breakfast started." 

"Ok." She got up and walked off, holding her arm as if it were about to fall off. He watched her leave, the smile falling from his face. How was he supposed to care for her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact about previous versions of the story: Holly was actually supposed to be dying from some illness that I hadn't decided on yet. Like the flu or something, which was why he was going to leave her with a doctor. I ended up not wanting to deal with it, especially for a character having such a short amount of screen time, so I downgraded her to a cold.


	4. Doll

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! 2 chapters of Holly and Alex! I still don't really think of these as actual chapters, since the story is supposed to follow Damien and not these 2, but I for some reason ended up writing them, so here they are!

After breakfast, Holly was standing on a chair, washing dishes in the tub on the counter. She had been steadfast in the fact that she would be washing the dishes while Alex tended to the first patient of the day. It had been a scheduled appointment, so getting her out of the way while he worked out the rest of his story for her was easy enough. By the time she was done and had finally dried the last plate, Alex strolled in, already dressed in his coat. 

"Come on, Holly. Let's go get you something to wear." He held her cloak out to her,now dry from sitting by the fireplace all night. She hopped down and wandered over, pulling the cloak around her and walking towards the door. "Now, I know at least a few people will ask about you. When they do, you're my niece, from my older brother, who is visiting while your parents are traveling. They're visiting Germany. Got it?"  
  
"Yes, Uncle Alex!" She plopped down on the floor and pulled her boots on while he buckled his own. She was bouncing on her feet before he was even ready. He laughed at her eagerness. She didn't get to go out in public very often.

"Alright, alright. Calm down. We have a few things we need to do. First, I need to pick up my shipment of medicine. Then, a little grocery shopping. After that, we'll get you some clothes, ok?" He held the door open for her as she bounced outside to the snowy yard. He locked the door and began to turn as a snowball hit his shoulder. Holly smiled as he shook his head and held out his hand. "I should have expected that, honestly." She giggled and walked with him as he led her out of the yard and down the snow covered road. 

The town wasn't very big, but it was nearly deserted on a cold morning like that day. The snow had a few tracks and paths already worked into it, but nothing really cleared yet. A few people were clearing away their doors or paths, most of them greeting Alex. He waved back and called a greeting but hurried along. He wanted to be away from his house, and the sleeping guest, as little as possible. If the child was staying as long as he thought she would, there would be plenty of time for introductions and explanations.

He led her to a general store, a clear chime from the bell attached to the door rang through the building. A young woman sat behind the counter, working on embroidery. She glanced up at the pair that had just walked in. She noted the child first with some curiosity, but quickly dropped it when she saw Alex. She flashed a quick smile as she put her project down. Holly wandered through the different displays of products while Alex approached the counter. 

"Here for your restock? It just came in yesterday." She was already pulling a box from below the counter.

"Absolutely. I also need a few things since I'm babysitting for a while." He indicated Holly who was studying a shelf full of canned foods.

"She adorable. Who is she?" 

"My niece. My brother and his wife are going to visit her family and thought it better to leave her with me. She apparently doesn't like traveling." He gave a light laugh and looked back at the woman. 

"Do you know how long she'll be staying?" 

"Not at all but I don't mind. Holly has always been a well behaved girl so I'm not worried." He was quietly going through the box of herbs and medications in the box. Little glass bottles clinked as he shuffled through them. 

"Aren't you worried about her being around sickness?" she bit her lip a little. "I mean, it's already a miracle you don't get sick but still! A child?"

"Don't worry about us. I'm not going anywhere and if I can keep her healthy, I don't think I'll have much to worry about." He closed the box and latched it shut again.

"True, true. Are you also going to do a little food shopping, now that you have one more mouth to feed?" She asked. He scoffed a little, bemused by her body language. She had always been a bit of a flirt, but the way she was leaning on the counter, arm folded to support her head and the other across her chest, brown eyes watching him, reminded him of Mary for a moment. "Yes I believe I will be. Would you be willing to get your brothers to deliver my order when the sun melts the snow a bit?"

"Absolutely, it would not be a problem at all. Just collect everything and I'll have it set aside." As she slid the box away under the counter again. He stepped behind Holly, who was starting at some of the beauty products. She eyed a hair brush, her fingers entwined in her long curls, as if thinking how she missed it from just the day before. Mary had brushed her hair before everything happened. She bit her lip a little as the memory returned, Alex acting and picking it up before she had a chance to linger for too long. 

"You'll be needing a new one, won't you?" He asked as she looked up at him. She wiped her eye that had flooded itself with tears and nodded. "Well, if you like this one, we'll get this one. Why don't you go pick out some sweets, hm?" He directed her to a different shelf with hard candies and preserved fruits. She wandered over and started looking over them, selecting a few from the shelf. Alex quickly collected the last of his groceries and set it down on the counter. He requested a few more items he knew the shop dealt in as Holly stood on her toes to drop the sweets on the counter. He paid for the items, thanked the woman again, and turned to leave. She handed a little bag with Holly's new brush and candy down to the child, who thanked her with a big smile before running after Alex. 

Down the road a little, he opened the door to a shop with dresses and fancy hats on display in the window. As soon as the door closed the woman inside came to the front. She was dressed rather plainly with her hair pulled up in a messy bun, but smiled. "Alexander! Dear! What has you here this time? I hope you didn't already ruin your new suit." Her voice was sweet and high, though thick with a cockney accent. 

"No, no, not at all, Elizabeth. I actually have someone I need you and your husband to help me dress." He met her half way across the room, exchanging kisses to the cheek before turning to the child who was now wearing a top hat, it falling down over her eyes. "This is my niece, Holly. She'll be staying with me for some time and sadly, I must say that her clothing was lost on the way."

"Oh my poor dear! Not a problem. We will get her all set up. Now, what all are we planning to do? I'm assuming just enough to get her started?"

"For now, yes. And a leather coat like you made Angel?" 

"Fur included?" She was already pulling out her measuring tape and pins. 

"If at all possible. Now, they don't all need to be done at once, but I would prefer the coat and night clothes made up as soon as possible." 

"Of course. You don't need to worry about a thing. Come here, dear." Holly put the hat back on the display and walked over, stepping up on the stool for the woman. She removed her cloak and looked the girl over, talking with her quietly about the workmanship on the dress she was wearing. The child had no issues with talking nor letting her take the measurements. She enjoyed it, it seemed, which made him thankful that Elizabeth would probably be the one he would be coming to with any issues. She was older and the mother of 3 daughters, so this was nothing new for her. She adored the child in front of her and their smiles comforted him a little. Maybe Holly would be alright after all. He was waiting for her to breakdown with the loss of their family, but at this point, it all seemed alright. 

After an hour of fabric picking and measurement taking, Elizabeth had finally tallied up the price for all the work that would be going into Holly's wardrobe. Alex was busy discussing prices when Holly had wandered off to a forgotten corner of the shop, looking at everything in the room. She was naturally curious, so it wasn't a surprise to any until she tugged at Alex's coat. He stopped talking and looked down at the child, who now clutched a doll to her chest. 

"Yes Holly?" 

"You... said a toy, right?" she said quietly.

"What?" He tilted his head as if it would gain him some clarity.

"You said..... if I was good, I could get a toy. Right?" She looked up with a little twinkle of hope in her eyes. He eyed the doll she held. It had been here as long as he had, probably belonging to one of Elizabeth's daughters. Its dark brown hair had been carefully brushed and the dress was made of fine red satin. The care that was taken with this doll meant that it must have cost money; money that he had already spent to get her clothed and fed. He looked down at her apologetically.

"I know I did, but...." he knelt to see her eye to eye, tears already welling in hers. "I don't have the money right now. I had to spend it to get us food and you new clothes. Maybe next time." And the first tear slipped down her cheek.

"But.... but.... I had to leave mine..." She sniffled. It broke his heart to see her like this. Maybe he could figure out how to turn one of the table cloths into a rag doll or stuffed animal? 

"Go ahead and take her." Elizabeth's sympathetic voice came from above. The pair both looked up at her as she smiled. 

"No, you're already giving up so much. I couldn't-" Alex stood up as she shook her head.

"Every little girl deserves a doll. And if she had to leave her best friend behind, the least I can do is help her find a new one." 

"She looks so expensive." 

"Money has no power when it comes to the comfort of a child who has lost everything. You should know that." Alex watched carefully. Did she know? And if she did, was it just Holly, or did she know about him as well....?

Holly was hugging Elizabeth before he noticed she had moved. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" She cried, the doll in one arm, her other around the woman's leg. 

"Of course, my dear. Just as long as you take extra good care of her." 

"I will!" Holly smiled and took her little bag of sweets and ran to the door, looking back and waiting for Alex. He chuckled and looked back at the woman.

"Thank you again, for everything." 

"It's not a problem at all. We help each other out. Come by if you have any issues and need guidance." 

"I will. Bring by whatever you manage to get done tonight, if you can, please." He finally turned to follow the child, pulling his coat on as he did. 

"Of course. Have a good day!" She called as he opened the door, looking back a moment to give a short wave before plunging themselves back into the winter air.


	5. Goodbye

The rest of the day went by pretty quickly for the two, with only a couple visitors coming in for medical reasons and their deliveries. Holly had taken a nap after lunch and spent the day carefully caring for the new doll. Alex was busy himself when he didn't have patients. He was one of the few who was in contact with some of the family, as they called it, and someone would need to contact them. Mary and Reginald were often in charge of any news being shared and Alex thanked God that neither of them kept the addresses written down anywhere in case such an event like this happened. If there was nothing else that Charles had taught them, it was how to be smart in a world of hunters.

As the sun set to the West, Damien awoke in the darkness of the room, careful to not hit his head as he scooted out from under the bed. The room was just as he had left it, except for the lack of the child and her boots. He stretched a little, slipped on his boots, and started towards the library where Alex sat in a leather chair. Being a doctor that used to travel, he had managed to get acquire a decent collection of furniture and books, most of which were in this room. Holly would be well cared for and loved here, and more importantly, safe. It was why Damien had come out this way. The doctor was watching the fire, a small glass of brandy in one hand and a tiny medicine vial in the other, filled with a thick crimson liquid. He absentmindedly twirled the bottle slowly between his fingers as he sipped the liquor. Damien closed the door behind him as he entered, Alex slowly gripping the bottle as he heard the click. He turned partially in his chair and held the vial out to Damien who tilted his head a little and scrunched his brow before taking it gently from his hand and holding it to where he could see it in the light.

"What's this?" Damien asked, though he thought he knew.

"Her blood." Alex replied, matter-of-factly, as he turned back the the fire again. "I figured you'd need it. That's how you'll find her again, right?"

"Yeah....." Damien gripped the bottle for a moment, squeezing it softly as if it was the only part of her left to him and someone was going to take it away.

"You don't have to leave her, you know. You can say here." Alex poured himself another glass of the brandy, not even looking at his friend.

"I can't let them find her." 

"I don't think they will. Even if you stay. Besides, two of us protecting her is better than just me."

"They don't know you even exist. I'd rather keep it that way, honestly. We lost enough last night." 

"I just don't want to lose more."

"They kept moving all night. You know that. Charles taught us how hunters work, especially when hunting my kind. You know they'll catch up eventually. They're hunters. This is what they do for a living."

"Well...." Alex accented his word with a sip of his brandy. "How are you going to tell her?" Damien was silent, stepping closer to the fireplace. "Damien?" Alex tried to snap him from his trance.

"I don't know yet. I'm thinking." He hissed at the man. Alex shrugged and swirled the brandy a little. Damien leaned against the mantle and started into the dancing flames. He closed his eyes and listened to the quiet sounds of the evening. The fire crackled at his feet, of course, but past that, he could hear the slosh of the brandy and Alex's heartbeat. Even further, the next room over, he heard Holly humming and her little heart. The sound brought a sad smile to his face; he was going to miss that sound. The next building over was a stable, two horses asleep in the cold with a family of mice hiding in the hay. The wind whipped between the houses, but.... something above that.... He focused on the sound, trying to block out the other stimuli around him, gripping the marble. 

It was.... howling....

Dogs.

His eyes shot open as he raised his head, turning quickly to leave the room. Alex stood up at the sudden movement.

"What's going on?" he asked, following. Damien didn't respond, only ripped the cork out of the bottle and dumped the child's blood into his mouth and set the empty container on a.... something. He wasn't even sure if he set it on anything and didn't just drop it. He swallowed quickly, the sweet sugary metallic taste dissipating quickly.

"Holly!" He called. "Come here!" He pushed the door open, Holly looking up confused at the urgency he portrayed. He scooped her up, doll and all, from where she had been sitting and looking through a medical book at the illustration. She slipped her arms around his neck as he held her tight, him knowing that this was goodbye. He bit the inside of his cheek, forcing himself to keep from letting the child know how scared and upset he was.

"What's wrong?" He heard her soft voice in his ear.

"The hunters are coming. I can hear their dogs. I have to go. You're staying here with Alex until I come back to get you, ok?" He tried to gently set her down but she clung to him.

"But why can't I come with you?" Her voice on the verge of tears made his heart shatter, but he stood his ground, telling himself this was for the best.

"I need you to be safe. Alex will take good care of you until I come back. And that will be as soon as I can. If it takes too long, I'll send a letter. We've been through so much, we can do this. You know it will be ok, Holly." He finally pulled her off of him and set her down on the floor. He knelt to her level and patted the top of her head. She was already sniffling and tears streaming down her cheeks. "Come on. You're a big girl. You'll be fine. I won't be gone for long. I promise."

"Promise?" She repeated the word as if trying to recognize it.

"Promise promise." He gave her a reassuring smile, which she returned.

"Ok...." She hugged him and kissed his cheek, him holding her again. He kissed the top of her head and sighed a little. He picked her up and passed her Alex, forcing her to let go. "I love you Damien. Come home soon." 

"I will. I love you too." He looked over at his friend and gave a short nod. "Alex." He grabbed his cloak as he hurried towards the door, throwing it on as he got outside, and ran. Holly watched as he disappeared into the night, a little snow blowing in from the quiet black.


	6. Hunt

Damien ran straight out of the town, opposite the direction the mutts were howling from. He knew that if he left the town straight at them, it would have been easy for them to find Holly. No, he needed to figure out a way to make them think there was no connection between he and the quiet town. If he had thought about it, there were several spells Alex could have provided him with, but it was already too late to go back, too late to ask. 

He was following a horse trail that someone had walked earlier, leaving hoof prints in the snow. It was a long shot, but maybe, just maybe, if they did go this way, the scent would be mixed or they would think that he was trying to leave that way. Or something. He wasn't even sure anymore. The panic was throwing off his ability to plan, to think. He told himself it was a stupid plan. That they'd never fall for it. But.... It was all he had. 

Taking a moment in the moon's light, he took a deep breath. Calm, he told himself. He looked over the town from the hill he was on. There were a few lights still, but nothing much. It was a serene image; fenced in little pastures set up for the livestock they had around the edge of the town, a light glow from the streetlamps, but above all, silence. It would be a great place for Holly to grow up, he told himself, a town that she deserved. A nice community for her to belong to. Maybe by the time he got back, she would have a friend or two her age. 

The silence was broken as the church bell tolled the passing of an hour. 1.... 2.... 3.... He counted to himself and tried to get himself to relax a little more, taking a breath with each passing toll. 8.... 9.... As the 9th and final chime run out over the field, he started forward, back towards the town, focusing on his legs and picking up speed until he reached a sprint. Once again, he pushed off the ground, launching himself into the air. He wanted distance in this leap, hoping that he would at least not land on anyone's roof. Sure enough, he sailed over the town, landing several hundred feet away in the woods. He realized the miscalculations and managed to put his arms up to protect himself the best he could, but there was little else he could do about the ice and branches as he fell. He landed with a loud crash and cry of pain into a small clearing, managing to avoid the worst of the damage he could have taken. His body bounced a little on the first impact and rolled several yards. He groaned, laying for a moment for the initial assessment of damage and pains to fade. He figured out that he'd broken at least an arm as he attempted to push himself up and it gave out. He groaned again, this time in annoyance, from the snow his face had landed in from trying to move. 

After a few minutes of willing his body to put itself back together, he was able to move with little pain. He rolled over and just started up at the clear, moonlit sky. He was running low on blood. He needed to handle this fight quickly. At this point, he might not be able to run if things went bad. Damien lifted himself off the ground, brushed the snow off himself, fixed his clothes, and started running. He was able to travel much faster without Holly and with the hounds making all the racket that his ears could pick up, it was no problem knowing which way to go. He counted the heart beats as he got closer.

8 distinct hearts.

3 belonged to the dogs. Obviously.

3 middle aged men.

2 teens. 

This was going to be child's play if he could set this up right.

They weren't exactly close, but they weren't very far away. They were probably just the tracking team, the ones that often took down the marks, while there was always a back up group behind them, in case of emergencies that needed more people and they often carried the supplies they needed. He'd worry about them later. For now all that mattered was not getting shot. The group that he had encountered at the castle was set up to handle all manner of targets, not just his kind, but at this point, they would be specialized in their tactics and weapons. 

He climbed up one of the pine trees and waited, listening to the hunters talk. They mostly discussed family politics from the sounds of it. Nothing of interest to their mark, sadly, until one of them mentioned Mary. Or who Damien thought was Mary.

"I really hope that Jacob recovers." One of the younger ones started. "That wolf took a good chunk out of his arm." 

"I'm sure he'll be just fine. Ol' Jake's had worse." An elder responded.

"Yeah, right. That was a good bit of meat she took out of him. Doc says he almost died."

"Yes, well, it would take more than some ginger bitc-" Damien gripped the tree as the man stopped, rage and anger filling him at the insults they used to talk about one of his family. The man had stopped to study one of the dogs who was sniffing the air quietly. "Bear, come on." The dog plodded along behind them. Just a little further....

"Well, I want to know why a bunch of monsters would keep a child." The young, talkative one sighed. "Poor little girl probably just wanted to go home."

"For food. For the blood sucker at least. The wolf and mage have less of a reason unless the mage was performing rituals that needed a human. Whatever it was, we'll take her back where she belongs when we find her."

"Fucking monsters. I'll bet the bitch is the one who-" Damien launched himself from the branch, tackling the one who was talking. He glared into their eyes with anger and hatred for them. If anything, they were the monsters.

"Her name was MARY!" He gripped the man's throat with one hand, but before he had a chance to do anything else, one of their mutts tackled him to the side. He managed to get under the dog as it snapped and snarled in his face and launch him with his shins into a snow bank before rolling to a standing position. Damien glared down the men as they raised their weapons, the one he had tackled already rising to his feet. Part of his brain was chiding him acting so recklessly - you had a plan, why did you let your emotions get the better of you?! - but he was already feeling the rage building up again. He smiled a little and watched each one of them moving; the tackling had hurt the man's left arm, where he had landed, the one with the bow was calm and focused, his heartbeat steady. He shifted his gaze to the younger two, both ready with cross bows, aiming at him. Those would take a moment to reload.... As for the last one..... His gaze shifted to him as he called the dog back to him, the other two at his side, ready to follow any command from their slightly crouched positions. He favored his right leg and had been walking with a limp. He caught the scent of blood from one of them, but he wasn't sure which. All of the men were dressed in fur lined leather coats, the two younger with black boots rather than brown like the older men. The shorter of the teenagers was wearing a paperboy's hat with the hood on the coat pulled up for extra warmth. The other had short brown hair and seemed to be shaking a little from the cold. All but the archer wore gloves, the lone one out wearing a bracer and an archery glove over his coat's sleeve. Each of them were showing the signs of skin that had been abused by the icy winds and chills of the frozen forest, but they didn't seem like they'd have any issues with the fight. Damien's gaze darted back to the one with the dogs as he stepped forward and began to speak. 

"So, you're the last one from that castle? Tell us where the child is and I promise we won't leave you for the sun." Damien grinned and weighed his options for an attack. They had to be tired. Worn. This was a show! The voice in his head debated with itself. You need to tear their throats out for what they did. Leave them for the sun and see how they like it. You need to be careful. You still have Holly waiting for you. "Hey!" The man yelled, snapping his attention back to the issue at hand. "I said, where is the chi-" Damien didn't give him a chance to finish. He bolted back the way he had come, leading them into the woods he had already explored. The man gave a short whistle, the hounds barking as they ran after their target. 

The young hunters took shots at their target as he fled, both missing, but the archer loosed the arrow, ignoring the others' groans of disappointment. The arrow, however, flew true to the archer's aim, Damien barely realizing it was there and ducking away at the last moment, but not enough to avoid it. It tore into his left arm, lodging itself there as he jumped down a small cliff, then ran further into the trees.

"Your aim needs work. Both of you." The archer looked back at the two. The younger one nodded.

"Yes sir. I'll realign the sight later." He dropped the crossbow to the ground as he pulled another weapon.

"You missed too." The other teenage said, unamused by his elder's criticism. The man looked at him.

"At least I hit." He went to the edge of the cliff to search for their target. "Get climbing. There's a slope down that way. I'll keep watch from here." He pointed with an arrow to the left before nocking his next arrow. This one wouldn't miss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so Damien was never supposed to be a fighter. Let's just leave it at that.


	7. Consequences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter and the last were actually written as one chapter, but I decided to split it up into two because I think I prefer shorter chapters and it makes me feel like I wrote more lol.

Damien slammed his back against a large oak, hissing at the impact and trying to recollect himself. He panted as he gripped the puncture wound on his upper left arm, glancing back to try to see around the tree. The wound was only bleeding slightly, the shaft of the arrow in it, keeping the worst of it from dripping out and leaving a trail, not like his running through the snow was helping any with that. They didn't need the hounds to find him at this point. He could hear the 3 mutts, baying and barking. They must have already found a way down. 

He shook his head a little as he heard the hounds send up another howl, clearing his thoughts. He ripped out the arrow and threw it to his right, hoping maybe they would catch his scent on it and chase that instead. Shoving himself up and off the tree, he took off running. This whole plan had been a huge mess. Maybe he could at least get away? He shook his head again. No, they would just follow him. One of them was already injured from him and another obviously had taken a beating from someone back home. The archer was still up the cliff, no doubt about it. The dogs were hardly a concern for him unless he was pinned.

Sure enough, he heard the stupid creatures leading the hunters away from him. Three dogs, 3 hunters were chasing a bloody arrow. Looking back, he let a wicked smirk slip across his lips, finally letting the rage and bloodlust to build again, ready for the blood bath he was about to star-

He stopped all of a sudden, his senses trying to figure out why.

He looked forward again and met the eyes of the youngest hunter in the group. The look in his eyes were that of hate and focus. Damien blinked a few times, trying to figure out what had happened. Why did he stop? Oh right..... 

His gaze wandered to the hunter's hands, which gripped a long wooden stick. Following that led him to the other end, which was obscured from view, seeing as how it had made its way through his stomach and out his back. He met the young man's eyes again as his senses finally acknowledged what had happened; he'd let his bloodlust get the better of him again and ran right into this kid's spear. Damien sank to his knees as the pain finally set in, coughing and spitting the blood and bile mixture that came to flood his mouth into the snow. He cursed himself for being careless. Of all the times he needed to be focused, he just let some child impale him. This was not his night.

"We finally caught you, monster." The child declared. Damien chuckled a little, as he sat back a little. "What?"

"Monster...." He repeated, all fight leaving him and returning to his usual demeanor. "You're too quick to judge. You think I'm the monster by word of some frighten humans, two of which abandoned their newborn daughter at my door step."

"Lies!" He yelled, twisting the spear a little and getting Damien to wince. The hunter looked at him quizzically for a moment. His kind didn't feel.... No it had to be a game it was playing. "You kidnapped that child!"

"The little village used to send offerings to us to deter us from slaughtering them or something. I don't know, I never went down there. We often times turned them away or offered them a place to stay before they froze to death in the cold. Many decided to stay and go off to their own lives. When the village told the woman that she was next, she dropped her little girl on the step and ran, leaving her in rags and a thin sheet. She gave her child up to die to exposure because she was afraid of us! We tried to return the child to her home but-" The hunter twisted the shaft in his gut again to shut him up. 

"Where is the girl now?"

"I'll never tell you. She's being cared for by someone far better off than her blood family." He put his hand down in the snow to support himself. He had never regretted using his blood to give him feeling before now. The cold numbed him a little, but it was hardly enough. 

"That's not what I asked."

"I will never tell you." He raised his eyes a little, to look at the hunter, before dropping them again. "You can burn me, stake me, crucify me, expose me to the sun, Hell, you could throw me into it. But I will never tell you where she is."

"You will talk." Damien drooped a little as the other 3 hunters and the dogs caught up. 

"You got him, Am-" The one with the limp started.

"Yeah, I got him! Just get Nick over here. We need to get him back. I'm tired of this snow." 

Damien hardly fought with them as they lead him along a trail. He was tired, most of the fight drained from him. He felt weak and stumbled a few times, not really watching where he was going. The young hunter was directing him with the spear still through him, much to his annoyance. The group lead him to a road where a camp where a cart with two horses was already packed and ready to go, the driver and a few other hunters giving a small cheer when they say Damien. 

They loaded him, the young hunter, and the dogs in the back, chaining Damien with silver chains by his ankles and wrists to the floor of the wooden cart. He sat on the edge of his bench, hunched over, studying the ground. The wound had been bandaged to keep him from bleeding on the wood. He was silent, trying to calm the thirst he had. It was the reason that he had screwed up so badly in his planning, or at least that's what he believed. The hunter sat on the opposite side of the cart on his own bench, the dogs curled up between them, warming each other while sleeping, content that the hunt was over. Damien took a breath, which drew his captor's attention, and glanced up at him.

"So, my brave captor, what do you plan to do with your first catch?" The hunter looked confused for a moment. "What? You don't have a hunter's necklace. Which means that I'm your first target you've caught. Otherwise, you'd have some other unlucky person's remains around your neck." He sat back as the child scoffed.

"You're not a person so don't even pretend."

"I may not bleed like you anymore, but I remember what it was like. I still breathe and feel like you."

"You don't need to do so." The hunter rolled his eyes. 

"But I do it because I don't want to forget. I miss feeling without having to remind myself to feel. I can love, I cry, I feel anger-"

"I saw the rage in your eyes when I stopped you." 

"I've been chased for two nights straight!" Damien tried to pull his chains, but they only rattled with no give to them at all. The dogs looked up and the hunter gripped his spear, just in case. Damien exhaled and sat back against the edge of the cart. He looked up and met the hunter's sharp brown eyes with sorrow in his. "What happened to everyone at the house?" The hunter relaxed a little, letting the spear drop from one hand as he leaned back a little.

"I can promise you they didn't suffer." At those words, Damien sighed heavily and rested his head in his hands, his mind telling him all the things he could have done, should have done.... Maybe if he had been a fighter, they would all still be here. 

"You realize.... they were my family, right?" He said through his hands as he heard the hunter give a disapproving groan.

"You're just a monster now. What would you remember of family?"

"You have much to learn, young hunter. Let an early lesson be to not hunt when any predator can smell you coming." The hunter gave him a confused look, tilting his head a little to the left. Damien gave a half smile as he dried a tear from his eye and looked at the teen once again. "My lady." The hunter's eyes widened at his comment and without missing a beat, stood up and slammed the back of the spear into Damien's dead, causing him to black out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact about this story: The equivalent of chapter 1 to chapter 5 were supposed to be the intro to a comedy story, starting at a sleepover for Holly's great great great grand daughter, telling the story of a vampire who protected her family and the gem necklaces they wear were a way for him to find her. needless to say, he was gonna find her and stuff, but that whole mess was pushed out of the way for this. maybe i'll make a reference to it later on?


	8. Council

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been a while since I updated. Sorry ^^' I got sucked into my Locus story. I guess you could say I had a loss of control lol.
> 
> Warning that there is a little torture in this one. Sorry I was advised by a friend who read the draft that I shouldn't just fade to black for it and I said sure what the hell and just went for it.

Damien came back to consciousness on the stone floor of a dark room. There was a little bit of snow on the ground by a small window, which was only closed off but a set of metal bars. He slowly pulled himself up, groaning a little, feeding his senses once again and bringing the throbbing pain with them. His chest was still wrapped in bandages, but they were unneeded now, since the wound had healed itself overnight. He dragged himself to the window and looked out over the expanse of white that blanketed the view, dropping the whole landscape into a painting of icy sticks and trees until it ended in the mountain range at the end. He touched the bars, investigating the crude material, before realizing that it was simply cold iron. They really had thought of everything here. He pulled himself away from the window, going to sit on the crude bed against the wall. It lacked a pillow but had a thin brown blanket placed upon it. If it provided any warmth, it would be questionable. A sturdy wood door was set in the walls opposite the window. A small window was placed in it as well, allowing those outside to look in between the cold iron rods that spiked in it as well. Damien flopped over onto the bed with a huff. Either the sun would come up or someone would come for him and either way, all he could do is wait.

He didn't have to wait very long as within the hour, he could hear footsteps coming down the hall. They stopped at the door, a jingling of keys rang out, and moments later, three large men stepped into the room. The one in the center held a small, metal object and Damien quickly figured out it was a muzzle and he could only guess who it was for. He sat up as they approached, sighing as the first one made it to him. He didn't fight as he grabbed his arms and pulled them behind his back, allowing him to shackle his wrists. From the chill, he could tell they were silver, a rather dainty metal, but an effective one no less. The second man gripped his raven hair tightly, earning a small groan as he pulled it some and held him steady as the last strapped the muzzle to his head, a cage around his nose and under his chin, encasing everything in between. It was tight and irritated him but he dared not fight. He was bad off enough as it was. 

Now that he was muzzled and bound, the first man, who was also the largest, grabbed him by the shoulder and forced him up to stand. One of the other men knocked on the door as he was lead to the exit forcefully. As the door swung open, he was pushed out behind the first to exit and was greeted by yet another, this one holding a crossbow. Damien allowed himself to be turned towards his left, feeling the end of the crossbow pressed against his back. He tensed slightly and bit his bottom lip as he froze in place. 

"Walk." Came a command from behind. Damien obeyed and allowed the man to direct him when to turn or pause. The floors were stone and the walls brick with sconces lighting the way until they reached another part of the building that he was pretty sure wasn't part of the dungeon. No, this area looked more hospitable with polished wood floors and some furniture and painting actually scattered about the hall. The lighting fixtures were much more decorative and he could hear fireplaces crackling down the way a little. He was nudged a little as another man pushed ahead of him, leading the way to a room where several people sat in a line at a table, all of them facing the door. He met the eyes of each; five men, two women. The archer sat on this council, as did two others he recognized from the hunting party. At their feet sat three dogs, none of them the same as the ones that chased him. He glanced over as the young hunter, once again dressed as a boy, stepped up beside him silently and faced the table. He felt the crossbow leave his back and turned a little to see the four men stand against the wall, relaxed but alert. He and his captor stood side by side for a long few minutes before the first started to speak. 

"So..... is this the vampire you captured?" The one in the middle asked. The young hunter nodded.

"Yes, Father." 

"Did you find the child?" A woman asked.

"No. He won't tell us where she's hidden her but he did state that she is being cared for by someone. He refuses to disclose her location." One of the other hunters looked at Damien. 

"Well, Monster, we will give you another chance to speak of the location of the girl." Damien stared at the table, not meeting the gaze of the speaker.

"I only request that you hear our story before you paint me as the bad gu-"

"Answer the question."

"You did not ask me a question." The council member sighed and sat back in his chair, crossing his arms.

"Where, exactly, is the girl?"

"I'll never tell you."

"This is your last chance. You should reconsid-"

"Go to Hell!" Damien screamed, eyes snapping up to meet the man's gaze. "You'll never find her!" The young hunter grabbed Damien's arm as he jerked forward. A foot was shoved into the back of his knee, forcing him to kneel as he glared back a them, teeth bared. The council glanced at each other, one standing and tossing a pouch of tools to the young hunter's feet. 

"I believe it is time for you to take your first trophies for your necklace." Damien took a small breath as they began to leave, the only one who stayed being the one the hunter had called father. He, instead, sat up a little and watched the young one reach down and take the tool kit in hand. He nodded as the child glanced back at him, reassuring her. The girl turned back to Damien as he felt the muzzle drop from his face and land with a clatter. He fought against the largest man pressing down on his shoulders to keep him still, another prying his mouth open, but he was still weakened from the night before, giving in after a few seconds. As his eyes opened, his eyes locked with the young one, her eyes showing hesitation and fear. She glanced back at her father, who simply waved his hand towards the restrained creature, urging her to go on. Damien's eyes followed her as she knelt down on the floor and started going through the tools in the kit. She looked over the options before picking up a pair of pliers that had some kind of attachment to the handle. She glanced over at Damien again, who was watching her back, fear now filling his eyes as she moved closer. He tried to wriggle out of the men's hold but they held firm. He started to hyperventilate, causing her to pause.

"It's a game." Her father said calmly. She jumped at his voice before turning to look back. "He's trying to make you see him as human. He's not. Don't let him fool you."

"Yes Father." She nodded before turning back to Damien. He had started to tear up, his eyes pleading her to not go through with this. His prayers were ignored as she placed a cloth around his left fang first and placed the pliers around it, playing with the mechanism on the handles to lock them in place. They fit perfectly as the ends had been grooved to accommodate the curves of teeth. He whimpered a little, the first tear slipping down his cheek. She looked up at the men who were holding him. "Hold him steady." They nodded and jerked him a little more before she began to twist the tool in his mouth. He winced at her first feeble, half-hearted attempt, before groaning as she applied more pressure. Her hands shook a little but otherwise her movements were true and focused. She kept looking up at his face as she worked, his eyes squeezed shut and the skin getting slightly red. He regretted that he allowed himself to feel, but now that it was done, he had no choice but to ride out the pain. The twisting was inconsistent and half assed. Her heart wasn't in it. The one who held his shoulders leaned down next to her to whisper. 

"Am..... If you don't get on with it, you know your father is going to step in." This renewed her attempts. She jerked the tool forward a little, pulling his head and causing him to yelp. His eyes shot open and he watched her, silently pleading her to reconsider. She pushed against his forehead and twisted them, a little guilt in her eyes but determination was much stronger. He struggled against then men, causing them to hold him tighter. His whimpers became unintelligible noises, then slowly worked up to a scream, the men having to hold him tighter as he thrashed. The rage awoke in him again as the searing pain burned through his mouth as the first tooth finally gave way and snapped at the root. She tumbled backwards as he howled in pain and glared at her, eyes almost glowing. She watched him, her father standing up to step over to her. 

"I think it would be prudent if he was held against the floor."

"No." She spoke before the others could do anything with the angry creature. "I get better angles this way. The second will be faster." She dropped the tooth in her father's hand and moved back to her spot. She wrapped the second as she had the first, fitting the tool to the tooth again. As the rage subsided a little, his tongue slipped over the bleeding hole where his fang had been, tasting his own blood. She gave him no chance to rest, however and had already started on ripping the second out. His screams sounded more human now, to her at least, and at last the tooth gave, a slight tearing sound coming along with it as she had cut the gum a little too. 

The men released Damien, allowing him to collapse to the ground as the girl turned to her father with the second tooth. He smiled as he looked them over. "Well, you didn't get the roots but it doesn't matter. He won't be able to bite anyone for a very long time. Very good for your first try." 

"Thank you, Father." She smiled at his praise before turning back to the vampire. He was writhing on the floor, testing the shackles and wanting nothing more to hold his mouth. Blood dripped slowly from his gums onto the floor, mixed with saliva, most of it from the cut she caused. He whimpered and just looked pitiful to her. 

"Alright, let's get this monster to his cell. There's no reason to leave him like this in the open." Her father commanded and the others lifted him up and forced him out. He was less compliant than before, the pain being a distraction, but he went nonetheless. The hunter looked up at her father as he turned to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm proud of you. I'll have these cleaned up and placed on a necklace for you." She smiled at his words before picking up the rest of the kit and handing it to him. "Maybe next time you won't hesitate."

"Yeah. I hope so. I'm sure it gets easier."

"It does." She nodded at his words and walked out of the room. The smile quickly dropped from her face and she signed heavily, still hearing his screams ring in her ears. 


	9. Offering

The next evening, Damien awoke on the bed in his cell. There was no light coming in from the minuscule window since it had been bored up at some point in the early hours of dawn. He put his hand to his mouth, feeling the ache from his tooth extraction the night before. His whole body was sore from the ordeal and his blood was dangerously low. He began to feed his senses by reflex, but quickly withdrew the urge, knowing that conservation was the most important thing right now since he didn't know if the hunters would ever feed him or keep him on the edge of starvation. He leaned back against the bed, feeling the dull pains throughout his body. Most of the injuries had healed on the surface, but still left an annoying tinge. He stayed where he was, not really seeing a reason to move, lost in his thoughts. Holly. She was safe. Or else they would have no need for him and would have left him for the Sun. Home..... If anyone had survived, they would have come for him by now.... Right? The anger welled inside him, but he was too tired to allow the rage to build. They treated him like a monster, something that stalked the people of the towns and tears them to bits. If they wanted the monster, then at this point, what did he have to lose? He would give them what they wanted.

His eyes opened as he heard the guard at the door talking with someone. He paid it no mind until a few moments later, the door opened and the young hunter slipped in. Damien locked eyes with the child, then let his gaze slip down to the fangs that hung on the kid's neck. The hunter leaned against the wall and stared back.

"What do you want, little girl?" He growled as he sat up and leaned against the wall behind him.

"You know, I'd appreciate if you would-"

"Does it look like I give a fuck what you would appreciate? I'm to the point that I would love you tear your throat out and watch you drown in your own blood."

"So the monster finally shows himself?"

"When I'm treated like I have been? I feel this is the only way to proceed. What does it matter when I've been trying to be civil and you insist on being barbarians?"

"Fine! If that's how you want to do this." The hunter pushed off the wall and took a few steps towards the door before stopping and looking over at him. Damien was already lying down again and facing the wall. "My name is Ambrosia." He turned to her slightly, just enough to glance over his shoulder, before settling back down to stare at his wall. 

"Damien." He forced himself to reply over the aches in his mouth. The scent of blood that followed her was irritating him. He took a breath before realizing that it smelled fresh this time, which confused him a little until he felt her gently pull him from the bed and into her arms, her right palm bleeding from what looked like a blade injury. He felt the pain in his mouth intensify as she held him against her, his hands instinctively going to hold her hand where he could inspect the injury. She cupped her hand a little to allow the blood to pool. His mind was clouded with hunger as he tried hard to figure out if this was a trick or anyway that she could fool him. 

"Go on." She whispered, bringing her hand closer to his mouth. "Or else it will go to waste."

"Your family will be unhappy with you..." His brain screamed at him to take it, his mind already becoming intoxicated with the metallic scent that came off her. He licked his lips and his breath came out in little pants. 

"They won't know. I'll just tell them I cut myself while sharpening my knives or something."

"Very well...." He smiled a little and allowed his tongue to dip into the pool of crimson. There wasn't much but there was no way he could allow himself to turn this down. Ambrosia smiled as he lapped at her treat before flattening his tongue over her flesh to get every bit of it he could. He began to warm up in her arms as he finished and heard him sigh as he leaned into her, his body beginning to come alive. He wasn't nearly as heavy as he looked and she supported him with ease. She wondered how old he had been when he first changed. Judging off her cousins, she would have bet somewhere in early to mid 20's. He looked up into her eyes, her gaze dropping to him as he gave a small appreciative smile. She stared back, entranced by the beautiful ruby red eyes that stared back into her soul. Damien smiled more as the brown in her eyes changed to hazel and she looked away, embarrassed. 

"What?" She asked quickly, pushing him off so she could get up. Damien shifted back against his wall and watched her.

"Nothing. I just like your eyes." She blushed at his compliment and looked away to try to hide it.

"Yeah well... what color were your's before you changed?"

"Mine were blue. Like the sky, but not the really bright, vibrant sky. More like... off in the distance. Her's are more like sapphires." She knew he meant the child from the look of longing on his face.

"So.... What's the story about this little girl?" She asked, sliding down the wall to sit. She pulled her hat off, letting her short brown hair settle back to its default place from where it had been tucked away. 

"Her name is Holly."

"Is she a-"

"No." He interrupted. "No. Too young. That would leave her much too young to hunt very well. I was going to offer her the option when she was older but not ever would I cause that at such a young age. I've never bitten her or drank from her either. I've cleaned a few wounds from trips and falls, but nothing more. I've only tasted enough to track her down again, but that was our last night." 

"So how did you get this child?" Damien sighed a little. Someone was finally asking his side of the story.

"How much time do you have?"

"Enough."

"Then I'll start you from the beginning. I must ask if you want my story as well, or just how I came to be in possession of a daughter."

"Let's start with Holly and we can go from there." Ambrosia sat forward a little and waited. He smirked and leaned back. He was gonna draw this out as much as he could."

"Not interested in how I came to own a castle? Let's start there."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: So that doll that Holly received? It was in the story before I wrote up how she got her hands on it lol.


	10. Found

Damien trudged through the shin deep snowdrifts, tired but numb to the cold. He glanced back over his shoulder at the trail he had left in the otherwise untouched blanket that covered the mountain. The trail led on further than he could see, but he knew it had been several miles since he started out. The wind kicked up a little but besides the movement of his clothing, he didn't notice. He couldn't feel after all. He had been at a party with his sire while they were visiting one of his friends. Damien didn't really care for either of them, but his sire had saved his life. Sort of. He felt no remorse or sadness for what happened. He shook his head to drown the thought and kept moving. He was going to be out here for a while and needed to find a place to go now that hunters had killed his sire. 

It wasn't too late in the evening. He didn't know the are but hoped that a town was nearby. His prayers were answered when he saw a fairly well worn path in the snow. He smiled a little and ran along the path, forgetting how his body had changed over the years. He entered the busy port town and began to move through the streets and people, hoping to find a pawn shop where he could sell the necklace that his sire had left him with. He had no real use for a trinket like that anyways. As he worked through the town, a young woman sidled up to him and wrapped her arms around his. He glanced down at her as she smiled, her eyes filled with lust.

"Hey stranger, you don't look like you're from around here." Her French accent sent chills through him and he smiled. Was getting a meal this easy?

"You're right. I'm not. You know where I can get a room to sleep?" She purred a little and tugged his arm. 

"Absolutely. Just follow me." She led him down the road, some stepping out of their way, watching him as he was lead by the woman. "You can stay in my room for a little bit if you'd like." 

"I'd very much enjoy that." He licked his lips. She wanted one thing and he wanted something else. Maybe this would work out? She was skinny, with long blonde hair bouncing along her back over her coat. She entered a building that reeked of alcohol, but he couldn't smell it either. All he could think of was her and how hungry he was. She ignored the loud room they entered and lead him up the stairs in the back, the sounds of the bar muffled. She quickly entered a room and pulled him in, turning to lock the door behind her as he stood behind her a few steps. She turned and smirked. 

"So... I hate to kill the mood but we need to talk rates."

"Well, I don't have money on me but I have a necklace I wanted to sell. It's gonna be worth something with how close the previous owner kept it." He saw her smile drop.

"All you have is a piece of jewelry? My rates are a little higher than useless trinkets-" She turned to unlock the door as he grabbed her wrist. "Let go of me!" He pulled her away and into his chest as she fought with him. "Let me go now! I'll scream!" 

"I honestly couldn't care less." He smirked. She froze as she finally got a look at him; his skin was pale and cold, his eyes bright red, and fangs glistened at the front of his mouth. Her voice caught in her throat as he pulled her close, her pushing and struggling against him, desperately trying to keep him away. She stopped again as he paused for a moment, breathing against her skin, wanting nothing more than to feed on her, to bite into her throat, draw the groan that he was so used to hearing from her, and drink to his heart's content. But he wasn't his sire. He wasn't what he saw as a monster. He slowly let her go and stepped back, hand over his mouth, watching the shaking girl on the floor. She crawled backwards and into the wall, watching him closely, like a mouse watching a cat. She whimpered as he left the room quickly, throwing the door against the wall as he left quickly. By the time he made it outside, he could hear her finally screaming. He argued with himself about why he hadn't bitten her. She wouldn't have died. He wasn't going to leave her to become one of their kind. He trudged through the streets and decided to leave the town. This was more trouble that it was worth.

He continued to walk for what felt like forever, being that he was once again alone. He turned and looked back once again. The sky was beginning to show signs of the approaching dawn, with the sky painted in warm, bright colors. He heaved a sigh and sat in the snow. He had been thinking during his long walk. He was alone. No one knew he was alive. No one he cared for was waiting for him to come home. Where was home anyways? There was no point in prolonging the inevitable at this point. Where he was, there was no where to hide from the sun and it's not like he had anything left. He heard the crunching of snow slowly approach him but didn't bother turning around. He could tell it was two people but otherwise he didn't really care. 

"Up here to watch the sunrise?" One called. The voice was male, probably older, with an English accent, but not too heavy. 

"Yes. Good morning." He threw over his shoulder, still not wanting to turn around. 

"It is beautiful from the top of a mountain. Mind if we join you?"

Oh, great.

"If you wish. It isn't my mountain."

"Why, thank you then. Tell me, son, what is your name?" 

"Damien." He saw no reason to lie. At least someone would know his name before he passed.

"Hm.... Doesn't that name originate from Greece?" He heard the man start speaking Greek, causing Damien to turn around, finally, in confusion. The man was indeed older, but very well dressed. He carried a pack over one shoulder and a rifle on the other. The other set of footsteps belonged to a much younger man, younger than Damien was. He carried the same as the first, but his pack was much smaller. The older locked eyes with Damien for a moment, his eyes curiously scanning over the person they had come across. Damien saw something click as the older man dropped his pack, tossed his gun to the young companion, and tear his coat off. "What in the bloody Hell are you doing up here?!" He threw his coat over Damien and pulled him up, the vampire struggling a little. "Reginald, grab my pack. We need to get him back to the house!"

"Yes, sir, but you know we won't make it back in time. The house is several hours away." The older man didn't seem to care as he ignored the response from the younger one, too busy with the one caught in the coat. He was stronger than Damien, easily overpowering him as they fought.

"What? Are you suicidal? Stop fighting me and come on!" He dragged Damien back the way they had come from, for several minutes. He couldn't do much but let them lead him. He finally let him go and he ripped the coat off his head, baring his fangs as he threw the cloth back at him. They were in a cave, where the the sun hardly shined in. There was evidence that they had stayed here the night before and Reginald was already working on setting their camp back up. "You'll be safe here. At sunset, we continue back home."

"Why did you drag me in here?" Damien demanded, growling a little.

"Why? To save your life, of course! You were about the greet the sun, child. I'm not sure how much you know, but that tends to kill your kind."

"I didn't ask to be saved!"

"Seriously? Is there truly nothing worth living for? Nothing that you want to see or do? Have you done everything there is to do? Really?" Damien turned away with a scoff. "Or is it because you're alone? Did the hunters get your maker or family? Your nest all gone?" He slouched a little at the mention of his sire. He absentmindedly slipped his hand into his pocket to the cold piece of earth. The last thing that his sire had done before sending him away was hand him the pink crystal on the leather strap, telling him to keep it safe, not to let anything happen to it. He didn't know what was so great about it. It was pretty and could probably catch the eye of almost any simple minded girl, but it was hardly something a noble would wear. Yet his sire wore it every day.

"Yes. It was hunters. They attacked during a party. My sire told me to run and so I did. All I know is it was several families."

"Do you remember any of the names?" 

"Edmund, Coul, Wingles, Abbit, and Torres."

"Hm.... I though the Couls were still in Sweden..... I'll have to do a little research then. For now, rest. We leave in the evening."

Damien wandered over to a corner and watched the two, sliding down the wall. "What's your name?"

"Charles." He responded without looking up. 

"Last name?" The question prompted him to look over.

"What's your last name?" Damien looked away at the floor. "Then you will learn to ask on as much as you are willing to give." Charles went back to assisting with setting up a place to sit as Damien curled up in his corner. He tried all he could to stay awake, to make sure they didn't turn on him in his sleep, but as the time ticked by, he slowly slipped into a dream. Charles and Reginald sat by the rekindled fire, watching the lifeless sleep slip over the body in the corner. 

"What are your plans, sir?" Reginald asked, his gaze going to Charles, who seemed almost amused by the fact that they had just dragged a vampire into a cave. 

"My plan is to give him a new outlook on life."

"Sir?" His wording confused Reginald. Charles smiled and patted his young friend's knee.

"He's just like you were. He's alone and lost. He needs to find something to live for again. I want to help him find it."

"Always picking up the strays, aren't you, Master?"

"Yes. I suppose so." He shifted away from the sleeping figure in the corner and laid down on the makeshift bed he had set up. "Get some sleep. Or at least rest. We will rest for the day and start off again in the evening. You know it's a days trek back." 

"Sir, what do you think about the hunters being on the move again?"

"I'm not sure. I'll look into the when we get back. Now, I'm going to bed. Good morning!" Reginald smiled and shook his head.

"Good night, sir."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really have no idea where I got the names Reginald, Mary, and Charles. Originally they were just listed as "everyone" in chapter one, but since the story never became the comedy that it was supposed to be, the characters developed and became what we know now!


	11. Reflections

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has one of my absolute favorite things that I have ever written.

By the time the sun had set again, Reginald and Charles had been packed up and ready to leave. Damien had spent his hour awake trying to figure out how to get away from them, but Charles was intent on dragging him along to only he seemed to know where. Reginald was more the quiet type, especially compared to Charles. He always seemed to have something to go on about. Damien was gripped tightly by his wrist for most of the trip. He assured them he wasn't going to run, but it was obvious nothing would be left up to chance.

By the time the sun was beginning to peak over the horizon again, a castle showed over the hills and mountains. The coat was once again thrown over Damien and they pushed on. Charles insisted on using his own and leaving the other two covered to protect them from the sun and cold. As they finally finished their approach, Damien heard Charles speak again. 

"Reginald, would you get the door please? Run ahead to Mary and-" Charles was interrupted by a high pitched whistle from above them.

"What are you two doing back so soon? Who's the new person?" A redhead young woman called from the lookout window above the three men. Her hair fell past her shoulders and onto the window ledge.

"Morning, my dear. How fairs the house?" Charles called up to her.

"Better since I went hunting. And a good thing, too, since if I were to go by your prize, we'd be cannibals or starve. Door's open. I saw you coming. Come on in. I've already got tea and stew started." She slipped back inside and closed the window.

"Guess she heard us coming. I suppose this would be my doing." Charles smiled. Reginald had the door open already and waited for them to enter. Damien was led inside and let go. He pulled the coat off his head and immediately found himself staring into bright green eyes. He stumbled back a little as Mary smiled and stood back up from where he had been leaning over. He caught himself on a table as she placed the coat he had dropped on it and looked him over. 

"Vampire, eh?" She stood up again and put her hands on her hips. "Judging by his face..... Given up on life. Offering himself to the sun, was he? Or trying to bed a bonfire? No.... You offered yourself to the sun. I'll be sure to get you something to drink." She spun around quickly, causing her skirt to flair out as she bounced off.

"I'll have a room prepared for him." Reginald said calmly, walking off the way Mary had gone. Damien stood in a daze. He was a little confused. Why were these people trying to help a monster? Charles clasped a hand on his shoulder, snapping him back from his inner thoughts. 

"Come. Let's get you cleaned up a bit." 

Damien watched the older man move past him and to the open door. "Why?" His question was ignored. Charles stopped and turned to him, smiling. 

"Welcome home. I think you'll like it better here." 

By the time that they had reached the room that was to be his, there was already a set of clothes out on a freshly made bed. A fire was going in the fireplace, a fresh pitcher of water sat by the bed, and a steaming bowl of water with a rag sat on the table. The window was latched closed and the curtains drawn. 

"This is your room. I believe you'll find it a bit dull, but as you acquire items that match your tastes, I believe that will change." Reginald walked in behind them, carrying a few pillows, which he placed carefully on the bed. "Sadly, the clothes are hand me downs we had lying around, but they should work until we get you your own."

"I don't plan to stay." Damien finally explained. A small smirk crept onto the young man's face. 

"None of us do. Please wash up, then take the stairs on the right, follow the hall, and enter the last door on the left."

After he finished fluffing the pillows, Reginald strutted back out the door. At least, it looked like strutting to Damien. He changed clothes from his torn and wet party clothes to the soft warmth of the fresh ones he had been provided. He looked at himself in the mirror and frowned. The image was distorted, his face blurred badly. He sighed, leaning against the chair and gripping it. He hung his head and remembered the few things he knew about being a vampire. The more distorted the image, the more of your soul you've lost. Or at least the less human you were becoming. He had met some who did not even appear in the mirrors anymore. His sire had always said that the soul was worth keeping, but not really that important to them. He finally tore himself away, grabbed the wet rag, wiped his face, and walked out as he tossed it back down again. He marched himself down the hall, down the stairs, and straight into the room he had been told to go into. He stopped dead in his tracks at the door as he looked up.

Mary was standing by the fireplace, wrapped in a forest green velvet cloak. She turned and smiled at Damien and his stunned look. She held the cloak just so, wrapped around her arms with her shoulders exposed. She waved him in as she sat on the couch. 

"Come here. Close the door." She instructed quietly. He slid the door closed behind him as she spoke. He wandered in, struck dumb from the tone of her voice and the coy look she gave. The door clicked and seconds later, he stood beside her. "Sit." She looked up at him and smiled again, her accent giving him chills. He slowly sank to the couch, his eyes never leaving hers.

"M-Mary, right? Irish heritage?" He finally asked.

"Aye and aye." She said as she got up and stood again, moving closer to the fire.

"What do you wish of me?" His voice almost caught in his throat. He was so flustered by the way she was acting and speaking, the accent mixing with her low tone, he could hardly speak. He wanted nothing more than to run his fingers along her creamy skin, feel her warmth.

"To welcome you. So, welcome!" She flashed a smile at him.

"There has to be more."

"Besides me wanting you to stay? Really, it's not that bad a place. We'll even make sure you get enough to eat. By the way, you're hungry, right?"

"I'm fine." He lied. "Ate a few days ago." He was starving. He had been forbidden to feed during the party, being that he was the fresh spawn of a noble he was "untrained in the delicate art of tasting and forbidden from the any of the delicacies" for fear he would embarrass his sire from overdrinking. Not to mention the fact that he needed practice in hunting, or so he was told.

All thoughts came to a grinding halt as Mary, back to him, slowly let the cloak down some, exposing her back. There were scars all over the porcelain flesh that showed. Damien slowly rose and began to pull the cloak up again.

"Don't." She said softly. He paused and waited. "Those scars....Those were from my previous life as a slave. To everyone else, I was a wife. Every day, I cleaned and tended and cooked. I was never allowed to leave. He had me chained by my ankle to the hearth." She lifted the hem of the cloak just enough to show the scar that encircled her right ankle. "I had two children by him that never survived to their birth. One day, he came home drunk again and went about his usually routine of abuse, but this time, something in me snapped. Then my bindings. Then him. By the time I came back down from the rage, I was far from there. I ran. Never looked back. When Charles found me, I had nearly starved. He and Reginald took me and cared for me. I've been here four years. I planned to leave, but I couldn't. This castle.... The people in it.... This is a family. And while most people may leave, they always come back, at least once." She leaned back into him. He had been lightly tracing the scars on her back, silently wishing he could make them heal. He didn't know what to do with her now as she snuggled into him a little. "Damien, right?" She breathed, her voice soft, provoking him to nuzzle her neck. He could feel his instincts urging him to tear into her soft pale skin. 

"Yes." He whispered as his mouth passed her ear on his way to get a better angle, to reposition. He could catch little whiffs of a flower scent in her hair and smiled. "You're tense. What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She tilted her head so he had more exposure to her neck. The girl smiled a little. "But you're a bad liar." She let her left hand slip behind his head and pull him closer to her neck. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Drink. As much as you want. From wherever you want."

Damien's body switched to auto pilot as he tore into her shoulder, his saliva immediately sending her into a euphoric state. What should have been a scream of pain from his fangs piercing her skin was instead a cry of pleasure. His right arm wrapped around her shoulders, holding her close as her legs gave out under her. He slowly lowered her onto the rug as her body continued to give in to him. Her left hand gripped his hair tightly, but he didn't seem to notice the slight pulling. Her right hand, which had been holding the cloak closed, fell to her lap, allowing it to open a little. Damien pulled it closed again as he drank, the feeling of the soft fabric gliding across her skin making her moan. The feeling of her warm blood in his throat encouraged him to feed his senses again, which he allowed, his body warming against her's. The taste was sweet, sweeter than what he was used to having. He ran his tongue across the puncture wounds, cleaning the last of the blood away and causing them to slowly close. Her body relaxed, going limp in his arms. Her grip on his hair loosened and her fingers slipped out, falling to her lap with her other hand. She was breathing heavily and her body was shaking a little. he hugged her close as a small whimper escaped her lips.

"Shhh.... Relax. You're safe. I won't hurt you." He cooed into her ear as he brushed stray strands of her hair from her face, smoothing it out as she panted.

"I knew it." She muttered after a few moments, still breathless.

"What?" He whispered.

"You have a kind heart. You're gentle. You never wanted this, did you?"

"No." He nuzzled into her marigold colored hair. The soft scent of lavender and roses filled his senses and she giggled. "What?"

"You like my scent. And it tickles." He smiled and nuzzled more. "Tell me about your life." She heard and felt him sigh. 

"I was the oldest son to a blacksmith and tailor. I was to take over the forge in a few years. There were four of us children. We weren't rich but we weren't bad off either. I was actually to be married in a couple months. But we were closing up the shops one night while Mother made dinner when someone came in. He spoke to my father while I finished locking up. I went back home and that was when they started fighting. I tried to protect my family, but I was just thrown around. He thought I was dead until I started moving again. I was weak and he dragged me from my home to change me. Do you know how vampires are made?" She shook her head, her hair softly brushing her face. "Well, they bite you, of course, but they leave the wound open. They feed you their blood for every meal until the bite heals. It can take a while. Mine took a month." He kissed her neck where he had bitten, gaining him a little moan. "After that, when you finally wake on the first night of your life as a vampire, they take your out for a hunt. It's not required, but it does help teach the fledgling the basics. He wasn't kind at all, usually looking at me with pity. Then, we went to a party about two years later. The party was attacked and I believe I was the only survivor. Then I was picked up by the two and brought here....." He paused, suddenly feeling how tired he was. The clock on the mantle above the fireplace said it was 10. He gently guided her off his lap as he stood, making sure that she was covered with her cloak. "I think I shall go to bed. It's getting very late. Thank you, my lady, and good night." He gave a slight bow as he turned to leave. Half way back to his room, he realized he had left the necklace in the pants that he had been wearing before. He began to move faster, throwing the door open to the room when he reached it. He saw the pants sat where he had left them and proceeded to dig around in the pocket before producing the gem. He sighed and slipped it around his neck, remembering how intent his sire had been on its safety. He had begged him to protect it. His master had always belittled him and spoke poorly of his progress as a vampire. He wasn't particularly harsh, but almost never gentle. The image of him ripping the necklace from his chest, shoving it into Damien's hands, and telling him to protect it with his life was burned into his memory. His sire even took on a few hunters to allow him to escape.

Damien sighed, sitting on the bed and turning the gem absentmindedly between thumb and pointer finger, debating his options. He could run, but honestly, where would he go? He was dead to his previous life and the woman he loved would want nothing to do with him with what he had become. He could attempt to claim his sire's estate, but that could get him caught.

"Thinking about what to do?"

Damien snapped back to reality as Charles entered the room. He picked up the clothes from the floor and smiled. 

"If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask." He watched as Damien slipped the crystal under his shirt and sighed. "We aren't going to take it. Calm down. We want to help." 

"Why?" Damien watched as the older man started to fold up the destroyed clothes best he could.

"I come from a long line of hunters." He started. Damien's eyes went wide as he stood up and started moving towards the door. "I myself have hurt many people. I never understood why. I'm the last of my line and too old to try to continue it. With age comes wisdom. I learned that I can either choose to follow blindly or make my own path. One day, out in the woods, I found a young redheaded woman that I could immediately identify as a lycan, wolf to be exact. I could have killed her. She was weak, maybe a few nights old. Instead of killing her, I wrapped her in my coat and carried her home. A few days later, I came across a young mage boy who also had ended up on his own. I fed them and cared for them. He assisted me in nursing her back to health and they have stayed and helped me nurse many others back to a healthy level. Most leave, but they often come to visit. Oh, sit down. You're fine. Besides, where are you going to go?" He set the clothes down on the table and motioned Damien away from the door. "Come over here for a moment." He sighed and wandered over cautiously. Charles stood in front of the mirror, which made Damien hesitate. "Come on." He grabbed Damien's arm, pulling him in front of the mirror, his hands going to his shoulders. Their reflections stared back at them, crystal clear. "See that? Don't lose your emotions. Those are the secret to keeping your humanity. Keep your heart beating, keep breathing, but most of all, eat. Hunger can make the kindest soul into a monster." He patted Damien's shoulders and started walking out. "Sleep well." Damien watched him close the door, then sat on the bed. He groaned and flopped back into the soft and inviting cushion. He was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to accept the sweet embrace of unconsciousness. He pulled his shirt off and tossed it to the floor, then maneuvered himself under the blankets. They were warm and comfortable, but to him, they were the most comfortable thing he had ever laid on. He sighed as he snuggled down a little more, allowing his eyes to close and at last the long day was over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good Lord, this is a LOOOOONNNNNNGGGGG chapter!


End file.
